A Profile of Boating Activity

Transcription

1 A Profile of Boating Activity on the Irish Sea Marine Institute 80 Harcourt Street Dublin 2 ph: fax: Web:

2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS A PROFILE OF BOATBNG ACTIVITV ON THE IRISH SEA The Marine Institute would like to acknowledge the following persons for their assistance and support with the preparation of this study. Maura Carey and Margaret Williams, INTERREG Office North Wales, for co-ordinating the survey work in North Wales and Rosemary Davies, INTERREG Office West Wales, for co-ordinating the survey work in West Wales. The various yacht clubs and marinas on the east coast of Ireland and the west coast of Wales whose kind cooperation facilitated the completion of the survey questionnaires. Brian Deane for his careful analysis of the survey data.

3 A PROFILE OF BOATING ACTIVITY ON THE IRISH SEA CONTENTS 2. METHODOLOGY 3. SURVEY FINDINGS 3.1 Ports Included in the Survey 3.2 Nature of Cruising Activity and Associated Expenditure Number and Duration of Trips Incorporating Over Night Stops Number of Crew Members Average Expenditure Per Person Per Day 3.3 Cruising Destinations Most Popular Cruising Grounds Popular Harbours in lreland and Wales Factors Discouraging Visits to Harbours in Ireland and Wales Questions Asked Exclusively to Visiting boats 3.4 Berthing Facilities 3.5 Popularity of Cruising Between Ireland and Wales Respondents Who Have Crossed the lrish Sea Frequency of lrish Sea Crossings 3.6 Promoting Cruising on the lrish Sea 3.7 lnformation Requirements lnformation Requirements in Advance Communication of lnformation to Boat Owners APPENDIX

4 A BROF1LE OF BOATING ACTIVITY ON THE IRISH SEA EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS This report is based on the results of a survey undertaken to profile the extent and nature of boating tourism on the lrish Sea between the East Coast of Ireland and the West Coast of Wales. From the data collected it is possible to draw conclusions about the type of action that will help to promote the future boating tourism potential of the lrish Sea. Important characteristics that relate to the extent and nature of boating activity in the region include: m m Almost 60% of boat owners included in the survey made more than three trips involving overnight stays away from their home port in Almost 50% of all trips involved stays of between 1-3 nights, and 20% involved stays of 3-5 nights. Ninety percent of all boats reported that they sail with two or more crew members on board. The average spend per person on board was relatively high with over 40% of respondents reporting a spend of per person per day. Seventy three percent of boat owners indicated that they had at some point completed a cruise to Ireland or Wales. Seventy five percent of boat owners reported a preference for marina berthing over all other types of available berthing. Word of mouth is the most common means by which boat owners gather information about cruising grounds based in the lrish Sea area. The survey confirms that the lrish Sea is already established as a popular cruising ground for Welsh and lrish boat owners and indicates that the potential exists to expand the sector further. Factors which support this view include: The close proximity of the two coastlines makes the cruising ground accessible to a large number of cruising boats, big and small. lrish Sea cruising grounds are attractive to visiting cruising boats - 97% of visiting boats included in the survey indicated that they would like to return to the area again. There is scope to attract boats from other UK locations. There are between 170,000 and 180,000 boats in the UK in total - approximately 9,500 of these are based in Scotland, 12,600 in North West England and 4,500 in Northern Ireland. Marina and other boating facilities are either over crowded or in short supply on the south coast of England, the north coast of France and in other popular European destinations. Because there is limited freedom to expand supply to meet increasing demand in these areas the opportunity exist to attract business from these markets. It hoped that by making this type information available interested parties will be better informed of the opportunities that exist for developing the lrish Sea as a cruising destination for visiting boats.

5 A PROFILE BOATING ACTIVITY ON THE IRISH SEA 1. INTRODUCTION Tourism is playing an important part in the economic development of the regional economies of lreland and Wales and has been successful in generating income earning opportunities in areas where it has often been difficult to foster other forms of economic activity. There are strong indications that the potential exists to expand this sector further, in the process generating additional benefits to the respective economies in lreland and Wales. This report focuses specifically on boating tourism on the lrish Sea between the east coast of lreland and the west coast of Wales. At present, boating tourism in this region, although very active, remains relatively underdeveloped compared to developments elsewhere in Europe. A study prepared by economic consultants, Fitzpatrick Associates; "Nautical Tourism on the Atlantic Coasts of the European Community", noted that the east coast of lreland was ideally suited to benefit from the expanding yacht sector in Wales. The converse is also true with Wales being ideally suited to benefit from visiting yachts from lreland. This suitability of the regions for cruising, is largely a consequence of the proximity of the two coastlines, a factor which makes boating across the lrish Sea relatively short and safe for both the novice and experienced boat owner, and also for the smaller as well as the bigger cruising boat. Moreover, the lrish Sea is located relatively close to the large boating markets on the south and west coast of England, the West coast of Scotland, Brittany and Northern Ireland. This gives the lrish Sea an added advantage over more remote and exposed destinations, such as the Scottish Highlands and Islands and the West coast of lreland. The west coast of Wales and the east coast of lreland are regions with long standing maritime traditions and provide the boating tourist with an exceptional choice of coastal attractions. These include the outstanding natural beauty of the hinterland around the Snowdonia Mountains in Wales and the Wicklow Mountains in lreland, the numerous coastal towns and villages with their particular Celtic charm, vibrant bars, inviting restaurants and welcoming people that are scattered along both coastlines, and the abundant heritage sites and places of scientific and archaeological interest that add depth to the tourism product. Within the region covered by this report there are currently four marinas in lreland and eight in Wales, providing berthing for some 690 and 1,820 boats respectively. It is evident however, that improvements in existing facilities will be required to cater for increasing demand. In the summer of 1997 the Marine Institute initiated a survey with a view to collecting data on the nature of boating tourism on the East Coast of lreland and the West Coast of Wales. This report sets out to present the data collected in the survey and to interpret it in order to draw conclusions that will provide direction as to the type of action that can best promote the development of this sector in the future.

6 A PROF~LE BOATING ACTIVITY ON THE IRISH SEA 2. METHODOLOGY The survey was conducted by means of a questionnaire which was completed by personal interview at sailing clubs and marina locations on the east coast of Ireland and the west coast of Wales. A small number of questionnaires were circulated to marina locations and yacht clubs, and completed by the respective members and berth holders. In total 134 questionnaires were completed of which 76 were returned from Welsh ports and 58 from lrish ports. As the issues being considered relate to two separate regions, the report analyses responses on the basis of: those respondents based in Ireland (operating out of an lrish port) those respondents based in Wales (operating out of a Welsh port) all respondents combined

7 A PROFILE OF BOATING ACTIVITY ON THE IRISH SEA 3. SURVEY FINDINGS 3.1 Ports included in the Survey Table one details the ports in Ireland and Wales from which survey questionnaires were returned. The survey incorporated a wide geographic spread of ports on both coasts in an attempt to monitor the opinion of boat owners based throughout the regions (see map on page 8) Table 1: Home Port of Respondents Irish Ports % Welsh % Total Clontarf 3.7 Port Dinorwic 3.7 Wicklow 6.0 Conwy 9.7 Dun Laoghaire 5.2 Pwllheli 9.0 Courtown 3.7 Holyhead 1.5 Malahide 6.0 Bangor 0.7 Howth 7.5 Caernarfon 1.5 Wexford 3.7 Aberdovey 3.0 Kilmore Quay 4.5 Neyland 7.5 Aberystwyth 2.2 Others 20.9 Total % 3.2 Nature of Cruising Activity and Associated Expenditure There is very little data available on the nature of cruising activity on the lrish Sea. This section attempts to draw a profile of this activity, focusing on the average number and duration of cruising trips made by the boats, the number of crew members, and the associated average expenditure Number and Duration of Trips lncorporating Over Night Stops Table 2 identifies the number of trips made by the boats included in the survey during 1996 that involved at least one overnight stop. It is assumed that cruising sailors make a similar number of trips annually. Table 2: Number of Trips lncorporating Overnight Stops (19961 Trips per year Ireland Wales Total... 1 trip a year trips a year trips a year trips a year Total

8 A PROFILE OF BOATING ACTIVITY ON THE IRISH SEA A similar number of lrish and Welsh based boats, circa 58% undertook three or more trips in A higher proportion of Welsh boats to lrish boats however, (37% and 15% respectively) made between five and ten trips in the same year. V in the Survey "Marina ports are marked (m) :: i^ 11,:r ;'

9 A PROFILE OF BOATING ACTIVITY ON THE IRISH SEA Table 3 reveals the duration of trips incorporating overnight stops. Table 3: Duration of Overniaht Trim Duration Ireland Wales Total 1 overnight overnights overnights week weeks O weeks Total The pattern of trip duration was not all that different between the two groups; both lrish and Welsh boat owners indicated that 2-3 overnight stops constituted the average duration of their cruises. This suggests that the majority of cruises are relatively short trips, probably made over long weekends. The number and duration of trips made by the boats has a significant impact on the level of expenditure attributed to the cruising fleet - additional nights spent in port usually involve additional expenditure by the crew on shore based activities Number of Crew Members Table 4 provides information on the number of crew members on board when sailing or racing away from the home port. The total number of crew covered by the survey was 387. In conjunction with the number and duration of overnight trips, the number of crew members on board during a cruise also impacts on the overall level of expenditure attributed to each boat - more crew members means more paying customers for the local bars, restaurants and other shore based attractions. Table 4: Number of Crewper Boat Crew Ireland Wales Total One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Total lrish boats included in the survey have a tendency to sail with more crew members than their Welsh counterparts. Whereas the most common crew size on Welsh boats was as low as two, the most common crew size on the lrish boats was four. To further reinforce this point. 25% of lrish boats reported sailing with more than four crew members in comparison to only 7% of Welsh boats

10 Average Expenditure Per Person Per Day Table 5 details the average spend per person per day while on a cruise. It reveals that over 40% of boats from both lreland and Wales included in the survey have an average daily expenditure per person per day of between E20 and 30. Table 5: Daily Expenditure per Person Dailv Exwenditure Ireland Wales Total Less than f f More than Total A survey conducted during a cruise in company organised by the lrish Cruising Club in 1996 revealed a similar level of expenditure by lrish crews, circa 26 per day. The same report revealed that foreign yachtsmen spend on average three times this figure, circa 88 per day. This finding points to the importance of attracting more foreign boats and crews to lrish and Welsh shores. A significantly higher percentage of lrish respondents in comparison to Welsh respondents indicated an average spend in the category (23% and 7% respectively). 3.3 Cruising Destinations Most Popular Cruising Grounds Table 6 reveals the cruising grounds most frequently visited by boats included in the survey (in some cases respondents recorded a preference for more than one cruising ground). It indicates that boat owners are most active in cruising grounds close to their home port - 81 % of lrish based boats cruise regularly on the east coast of lreland, 67 % of Welsh based boats cruise regularly on the north coast of Wales and 44 % on the west coast of Wales. Outside of this activity lrish boats indicated a preference for visiting Welsh cruising grounds, and Welsh boats a preference for visiting lrish cruising grounds. The combined response indicated the east coast of lreland to be the most popular cruising ground.

11 A PROFILE OF BOATING ACTIVITY ON THE IRISH SEA Table 6: Cruising Ground Cruising Ground Combined Ireland O/o Wales % O/O North Wales East Cost lreland Scotland South West England South England West Wales West Coast France South Wales South West lreland West Cost lreland Northern lreland Popular Harbours in lreland and Wales Table 7 reveals the most popular ports of call on the lrish sea. Howth was the most visited destination in the survey; 66% of combined boat owners reported a visit to the harbour. It attracts the majority of visitor traffic with 47% of Welsh boats indicating a visit. Wicklow and Dun Laoghaire also prove popular with Welsh visitors; the number indicating a visit to each of the harbours being 41% and 33% respectively. lrish boat owners cruising at home favour Wicklow as a destination with 91% reporting a visit to the harbour. It is worth noting that Wicklow is a popular destination with Welsh and lrish boats despite not having a marina facility. The popularity of the harbour might partly be the result of its proximity to the large cruising fleet based in Dublin which makes the harbour a prime destination for boats on an over night cruise from Dublin. It is also a convenient stopover for yachts on a passage through the lrish Sea and for cross channel yachts. These factors also contribute to the popularity of Dun Laoghaire and Howth. Given that the marina developments in Waterford and Kilmore Quay are quite recent, it is likely that more boats will report a visit to these harbours in the future. Welsh boat owners cruising at home reported Port Dinworig as their preferred destination; 53% indicating a visit to the harbour. lrish respondents cruising in Wales indicated Pwllheli to be their favoured destination.

12 A PROFILE OF BOATING ACTIVIN ON THE IRISH SEA % of Respondents Table 7: Popular Harbours in lreland and Wales Harbour Ireland Wales Combined Yes No Yes No Yes No lrish Ports Carlingford Malahide Howth Dun Laoghaire Wicklow Arklow Kilmore Quay Waterford Welsh Ports Port Dinorwic Conwy Caernarfon Pwllheli Aberystwyth Fishguard Swansea Milford Haven Factors Discouraging Visits to Harbours in Ireland and Wales The survey attempted to investigate the factors which discouraged visits to particular harbours. A profile of the responses is given in table 8. Table 8: Reasons for Not Visiting Ports Reasons Ireland Wales in Total 7ime limitations 10.5 Lack of facilities 7.0 Natural limitations 7.0 No specific Reason 54.4 Other 21.1 Total It is very difficult to draw any firm conclusions from the analysis. More than half of those based in both lrish and Welsh ports gave 'no specific reason' as their response for not having visited the ports identified in the survey. This may well suggest that there is an absence of information about certain ports and in the absence of knowledge or certainty individuals are inhibited from moving away from familiar cruising areas.

13 A PROFILE OF BOATING ACTIVITY ON THE IRISH SEA Questions Asked Exclusively to Visiting boats With the objective of ascertaining the opinion of visiting boat owners a number of questions were asked exclusively to respondents who were on a cruise at the time of the survey; hence they were visitors to the port where the survey was being conducted. Table 9 identifies the means by which the visiting boat owners heard about their present port of call. Table 9: Means of Hearing About Port of Call Source % of Respondents NewspapersIMagazines 6 Cruising Guides 15 Tourist Brochure 9 Word of Mouth 48 Other 21 The vast majority of boat owners (48%) indicated word of mouth as being the means by which they heard of their present port of call. This is not surprising since individuals usually seek the views of a friend or acquaintance before committing themselves to travelling. The pattern indicated above is similar to tourism in general and underpins the importance of referral business to the industry. The visitors were asked to identify the factors that attracted them to an area. The reasons given were quite diverse, but the convenience of the location and the facilities provided were indicated as being particularly important (see table 10). Table 10: Attractions Attractions % of Respondents Culture 13 Convenient location 23 Facilities 23 Aesthetic Value 19 Other 23 It is clear that the yachting product is not just a question of facilities and location. Visitors to Ireland and Wales enjoy good restaurants and bars, and are attracted generally by the Celtic Culture, hospitality of the people, and the general ambiance of traditional Welsh and Irish towns and villages. This has been backed up by anecdotal information collected at the time of the survey. When questioned on the intended duration of their visit two thirds of the visitors reported staying no more than two nights in any given harbour. This is indicative of the transient nature of boating tourists and their desire to explore multiple destinations when cruising away from home.

14 Fifty percent indicated that the current cruise was their main holiday. The other cruises were mainly short breaks taken over long weekends and usually supplemented a longer cruise taken as a main holiday at another stage during the summer. One of the most positive findings of the survey was that 97% of respondents indicated that they would return to the area they were visiting. This response is indicative of the high quality boating product which exists in both lreland and Wales and shows that the foundation exists upon which a successful boating tourism product can be built. 3.4 Berthing Facilities The provision of safe, convenient and reliable berthing and mooring facilities is critical to attracting boating tourists to a region. With a view to this, the survey asked boat owners to report on the preferred means of securing their boats while cruising away from their home port (see table 11). Table I I: Preferred means of securing boats -1 Securing Ireland Wales Total Anchoring Marinas Moorings Pontoons Total Clearly, marinas are the preferred means of securing boats for the majority of respondents. Pontoon berthing proved more popular with the Welsh boat owners, a finding which might be attributable to the higher incidence of pontoon berthing which exists in Wales and therefore the familiarity of this type of berthing to Welsh boat owners. 3.5 Popularity of Cruising Between lreland and Wales Respondents Who Have Crossed the Irish Sea In order to establish the popularity of cruising between lreland and Wales the survey asked boat owners to report on whether or not they had completed a channel crossing between the two destinations. Table 12 below records the findings. Table 12 Respondents who have sailed to lreland or Wales Crossed Ireland Wales in Total % % % Yes No Total

15 ~p -- A PROFILE OF BOATING ACTIVITY ON THE IRISH SEA A high proportion of boat owners (69%) reported that they had completed the voyage, a finding which underpins the popularity of the lrish sea as a cruising ground. The lrish and Welsh response was broadly similar. Not surprisingly there is a strong relationship between boat length and an undertaking of the voyage - 44 % of those with boats of less than 7.5 metres had made the journey, 71 % of those with boats between 7.5 and 10.0 metres, and 78 % of those with boats greater than 10.0 metres Frequency of lrish Sea Crossings For those who answered yes above, Table 13 identifies, how many times the voyage has been undertaken. Table 13: Number of Times the lrish Seas has been Crossed Times Ireland Wales Total 50 times times times times times 35.0 Total Forty two per cent of combined respondents have made the trip between one and four times and a significant proportion of respondents (22% of lrish based boats and 23% of Welsh based boats) have made the crossing as many as twenty times or more. The high incidence of repeat crossings further underpins the popularity of cruising on the lrish Sea. 3.6 Promoting Cruising on the lrish Sea The survey attempted to identify initiatives which might encourage an increase in the number of boats cruising between Ireland and Wales. The incentives discussed in the survey included, the development of maritime events and functions, and the introduction of discounts for particular shore side activities, i.e. local transport, and visits to places of local interest. Table 14 provides details of the responses. Table 14: Factors Encouraging lrish Sea Crossings Factors Ireland Events/functions 53.6 Discounts 41.l Other 83.3 Wales Combined lrish boat owners were more receptive to both events/functions and discounts; the responses in support of the initiatives were 53% and 41% respectively, in contrast to

16 A PROFILE OF BOATING ACTIVITY ON THE ~RISH SEA the more moderate level of support from the Welsh boat owners, 38% and 26% respectively. Thirty nine percent of combined respondents who reported 'other' factors indicated that the extension of berthing facilities and marinas in particular would encourage them to make more crossings between lreland and Wales. With a view to developing an event aimed at encouraging further cruising activity between lreland and Wales the boat owners were asked to report on their interest in participating in an organised 'cruise in company' between the destinations. Table 15 identifies the level of interest. Table 15: lnterest in Cruising in Companv lreland Wales Combined Yes No Total A very high proportion of respondents, almost 80% from both Wales and lreland, said they would be interested in participating in a cruise in company. Cruising in company is very popular with sailors and many yacht clubs in lreland and Wales already organise annual cruises in company. The 78 per cent who said they would like to cruise in company were asked whether they would be primarily interested in: a single destination cruise, a multiple destination cruise or both (see table 16). Table 16: lnterest in Single or Multiple Destinations Destination lreland Wales Combined Single 4.7 Multiple 72.1 Both 23.3 Total It is clear from the table that the Irish respondents favoured multiple destination cruises while the Welsh were less specific and indicated an interest in either single or multiple. To complete a comprehensive profile of the type of cruise that would satisfy the demands of boat owners in lreland and Wales the respondents were asked to comment on the optimum duration for such a cruise. Table 17 below sets out the responses.

17 A PROFILE OF BOATING ACTIVIN ON THE IRISH SEA Table 17: Optimum Cruise Duration Duration Ireland Wales Combined 3 days-l week weeks 46.5 More than 2 weeks 4.7 Total The responses of those based in Ireland and Wales were broadly similar with 50% of respondents indicating 3 days to a week as the optimum duration. A higher proportion of lrish respondents favoured a longer cruise of one or two weeks duration. There was very little support for cruises in excess of this duration. Effective promotional activities are central to the successful development of future boating events, and with this in mind the survey investigated the means by which boat owners gather information about boating events (see table 18). Table18: Source of lnformation About Events Awareness Ireland Wales Combined Club notices 61.4 Boating Press 48.2 Newspapers 7.1 Magazines 10.7 Other 43.1 From the table it is clear that the majority of lrish and Welsh boat owners, circa 61% and 63% respectively, gather information about events from notices placed in clubs. The boating press also prove an important source of information. Forty three per cent of lrish respondents indicated 'other' means of gathering information; the majority of these responses refer to 'word of mouth'. 3.7 lnformation Requirements The provision of accurate and up to date information plays an important role in attracting boating tourists to a particular cruising ground. By identifying accurately the type of information boat owners require and then making it readily available and accessible it is possible to facilitate easier access to the coast, and possibly increase the level of cruising traffic lnformation Requirements in Advance The survey identified five categories of information and asked respondents to rank each category as being either essential, important, or useful to them when planning a cruise away from their port. The findings are as follows:

18 A PROFILE OF BOATING ACTIVITV ON THE IRISH SEA 0 Availability of moorings, marina berths, pontoons, and safe anchorage's lreland Essential 67.2 Important 24.1 Useful 8.6 Wales Combined Two out of three respondents considered that information on the availability of moorings and safe anchorage as essential, while one in four thought it important. The readily available and accessible provision of this information is central to attracting boats to a destination. Electricity hook-up, water supply, showers, lifting facilities, fuel, etc lreland Wales Essential Important Useful Combined A little over half of all respondents considered access to facilities such as electricity and water as either essential or important Accommodation lreland Wales Combined Essential Important Useful It is clear that information about accommodation availability was not a major issue of concern to the majority of boating visitors. Restaurants and other shore-side events and attractions lreland Wales Essential Important Useful Combined The availability of restaurants, shore-side events and attractions was either essential or important to over half of all respondents.

19 A PROFILE OF BOATING ACTIVITY ON THE IRISH SEA Accessibility, i.e. navigation information Ireland Essential 82.8 Important 13.8 Useful 3.5 Wales Combined Navigation information was reported as being essential by the majority of respondents in both Ireland and Wales Communication of lnformation to Boat Owners Once the promotional information has been produced, the task remains to establish the most effective method of disseminating it to boat owners. The survey asked respondents to indicate their preferred means of gathering information. Table 19 sets out the response. Table 19: Preferred Means of Securing lnformation Information Source Ireland Wales Combined Brochure from Tourist Information Office (TIO) Brochure from Club lnternet Phone Club The combined response indicates that a brochure made available in the yacht clubs is the preferred method for boat owners to gather the information they require. Yacht clubs provide the focus for general boating activity, and four out of five respondents to the survey reported that they were members of a club. Breaking the figures down, however, it becomes clear that the Welsh respondents reported a preference for telephoning the clubs. From the point of view of promoting cruising in the Irish Sea the survey highlighted that the preparation and distribution of a brochure to clubs will probably achieve the most success. It is interesting to note that the Internet, although a relatively new source of information, was already favoured by one in five respondents.

20 A PROFILE BOATING ACTIVITY ON THE lrlsh SEA APPENDIX Vessel Characteristics This appendix contains additional information relating to the characteristics of vessels on the lrish Sea. It reports on the number of sailing boats and motor boats in the survey, the average draft and length of the boats and the most common keel types. m Percentage of Motor Boats and Sail Boats Included in the Survey Table 1 reports on the percentage of motor boats and sail boats included in the survey. Table 1: The Percentage of Motor Boats and Sail Boats Total Ireland % Wales % % Motor Sail Total The table shows that the vast majority of boats included in the survey were sailing boats. For reasons of safety it is important that boats have recourse to an alternative means of propulsion and most of the sailing boats included in the suwey are fitted with auxiliary engines. For this reason it is useful for boats visiting Ireland and Wales to have convenient access to fuel supplies. Length of Boats Table 2 explores the length of the boats included in the survey. The data provided relates to the 'length overall' (LOA) of the boats. It is normally the case that larger craft are more capable of making longer sea passages. This is evident from the survey which identified a relationship between the length of boat and the completion of a voyage across the lrish Sea -while 44% of those boats of less than 7.5 metres had made the journey, 71% of boats between 7.5 metres and 10 metres in length had made the same journey. Table 2: Boat Length (LOAI Length Total Ireland % Wales % Yo Length under 7.5 metres Length between 7.5 and 10 metres Length greater than 10 metres Total The smallest boat included in the survey was 5.5 metres and the longest was 14 metres. Nearly six out of ten boats fall into the 7.5 to 10 metre category and one in every four was greater than 10 metres. The overall average was 8.9 metres. Since boats of 7 metres

21 A PROFILE OF BOATING ACTIVITY ON THE IRISH SEA and upwards in length are generally of a suitable size to make short offshore voyages the majority of boats included in the survey could comfortably make the trip between lreland and Wales. Draft In order to assess the average depth requirements of the boats, the survey asked respondents to report on the draft of their boats. The deepest draft reported was 2.13 metres and the average draft of all boats is 1.13 metres. Generally boats based in lreland had a somewhat greater draft with one in four being over one metre. Only a very small proportion of boats operating out of both Welsh and lrish ports had a draft over 2 metres (see table 3). Table 3: Boat Draft Draft Total Ireland % Wales % YO Draft under 1 metre Draft between 1 and 2 metres Draft greater than 2 metres Total Keel Type Table 4 reports on the keel types included in the survey. Table 4: Keel Type Keel Total Ireland % Wales % % Fin Bilge Lifting keel Long S Catamaran Winged Others Total From studying the table it is apparent that there are significant variations in the type of keels fitted to boats in lreland and Wales. In lreland the most common keel type found was the fin keel (47%); the next most popular being the bilge keel (17%). In Wales the bilge keel was most popular (28%) followed by the fin keel (24%). The difference between these keel types being that fin keels are more suited to performance boats and bilge keels are more suited to cruising boats. Following from this, it is probably the case that the survey sample in Wales included more cruising boats than the lrish sample.